Villagers of
Kampung Semadang in Borneo Highlands about 40km from Kuching who lost most of
their native customary rights (NCR) land for the development of the Bengoh
Resettlement Scheme (BRS) appealed to the government to stop acquiring their
remaining NCR land.
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| The latest photograph taken on Feb 15, 2013 showing the houses still under construction at BRS. |
They were worried
that they will lose more of their land following the request of the four villages
affected by the construction of the RM310 million Bengoh Dam to be granted at
least 10 acres of agriculture land to each family resettled at the scheme.
The four
villages are Kampung Taba Sait, Kampung Rejoi, Kampong Pain Bojong and Kampung
Semban along the Borneo Highlands.
The
development of BRS has affected the livelihood of villagers in Kampung Semadang
and nearby Kampung Giam whose NCR land were acquired by the government to accommodate
the resettlement scheme.
Kampung
Semadang village chief Samson Mangang who is very worried of the situation,
said should the government agreed to the request of the 204 families that were
to be resettled at BRS, it would create deeper problems to people in the two
villages (Kampung Semadang and Kampung Giam).
“Our village
is expanding and more families are going to build their houses but where are
they going to build them if the government continue to acquire our land.
Furthermore, we also need land to do our farming.
“We have
sacrificed a lot for others and we strongly oppose to any move to acquire more
of our remaining land. It must be put to a stop,” Samson added.
Meanwhile land
owners whose land was acquired for the purpose are also complaining that they were
paid low compensations.
Samson said
many villagers of Kampung Semadang had given away big area of their NCR land,
thus resulted in some were now left with no land to carry out farming.
“We have
sacrificed our land for the development of Bengoh Dam and BRS but until now our
request for a piece of land near to BRS for our village extension programme has
not been approved by the government,” said Samson.
According to
Samson, he together with Penghulu Rimong Sutur and the then secretary Kampung
Semadang Village Development and
Security Committee Robert Kenneth had submitted the application in writing to
the state government through Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit several
years ago.
Samson said
in the application they also requested the government to provide basic
infrastructure like water supply, electricity and a school at the new village.
The fear
raised by Samson is also shared by villagers of the nerby Kampung Giam and
Kampung Skio.
Meanwhile
many envied the houses and the infrastructure provided by the government at BRS for the 204
families affected by the Bengoh Dam.
However, for
Itido Peu, chairman of the Bengoh Dam Resettlement Liason Committee, their struggle
for the last six years has never been easy.
“Our dreams
and requests have not been easy. Until now we are still not sure whether the
houses will be provided free to us or we have to buy them.
“At this
point of time we only wait and see what the government are going to do for us,”
said Peu.
“We want all
our requests to be fulfilled including our request for 10 acres of agriculture
land near to BRS so as not to burden the affected villagers once they more to
the resettlement scheme,” he added.
During his
visit to BRS on Saturday, the Chief Minister of Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib
Mahmud said the 204 families will only have to pay RM10,000 for the new houses
which cost RM20,000 each.
Nevertheless,
Taib’s announcement has created doubt as it is learnt that each unit of the
house cost RM80,000 but why her mentioned RM20,000 for each unit.
The Chief
Minister also said the government will pay the remaining amount and compensate
them for the affected land and houses.
He also
assured that the government would compensate their land located above the dam,
including their agriculture land in one to two years’ time.
The
villagers from Kampung Semban, involving 59 families, Kampung Rejoi (40
families), Kampung Taba Sait (58 families) and Kampung Pain Bojong (47
families) are to be resettled at the BRS, a 130 ha-site in Penrissen adjacent
to Kampung Semadang along the Puncak Borneo Road near here, about 20km from the
Bengoh Dam.
Peu said in
their memorandum to the state government in 2007 villagers from the four
villages demanded for free houses at BRS and 10 acres of land for each family
for agriculture purposes.
“But as of
now we are only assured of three acres and that is far not enough because our
families are expanding in years to come,” he said.
Itido said
they worries now is the compensations of their land, houses and other
properties at their present village which has yet to be fully paid to them.
Itido also
said they are not to be blamed for the suffering faced by the people of Kampung
Semadang, Kampong Giam and Kampung Skio.
“It was not
our choice to be resettled at BRS. In the first place the government should
have look for a bigger area for the resettlement,” he said.
Commenting
on Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah statement that Kampung
Taba Sait will be the first village, affected by the Bengoh Dam construction,
to move to BRS expected in March, Peu said it wouldn’t be that fast as most of
the houses and the infrastructure facilities has not been completed.
Abdul Karim
Rahman Hamzah said there were 58 units of Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) to be handed
over to the villagers.
Karim said
developer had given assurance that all the houses could be completed in March
and after that they can start to move to their new house in March.
Karim said this at a press conference after a
briefing session on the relocation of those villagers affected by the Bengoh
Dam resettlement site at Borneo Height Road he
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